“There are no shortcuts in finals.”: The Time has Finally Come

Ben Batger

By Angus Hayman

Finals rugby is here, and for Easts’ first grade side, it starts with a mouth-watering qualifying final against one of the club’s oldest and fiercest rivals………. Randwick. It’s the kind of fixture that stands on its own: two proud clubs, both stacked with quality, meeting with everything on the line.

Easts enter the match as minor premiers, a title that head coach Ben Batger is quick to acknowledge as an achievement worth recognising but not overplaying.

 “It’s certainly a nice pat on the back,” Batger says. “Being minor premiers is all about consistency over 18 weeks, but it’s not the big prize.”

 For Captain Josh Bokser, the award carries pride, but also perspective.

“Minor premiers is a massive achievement for sure but for our group, we know we still have a long way to go when it comes to making the grand final. The finals series is a different beast.”

 And that “different beast” starts with Randwick, the only team in the Shute Shield with a winning record against Easts over the past two seasons. But if there’s any temptation to treat this game as a grudge match, Batger isn’t biting.

 “It’s a fresh finals game, and that’s bigger than any rivalry or history within the Shute Shield,” he says. “At the club, we can certainly talk them up too much, but I see it as just another game that is as vital as the last.”

Bokser shares a similar view, although he admits that the history adds something to the occasion.

“Randwick is always a big game, big rival, and a lot of history. They’re a quality side, and these are the games we want to play in as players. I don’t think history really comes into it when it’s finals rugby. Every 80 minutes is different.”

Standards and Momentum

The format of the Shute Shield finals means the top two sides get a second chance if they lose in the first week, but that safety net isn’t something Easts are banking on.

“It was simply addressed on Monday night,” Batger says. “We all agreed there is no plan to use it. It’s about our standards and building momentum into the next game.”

Bokser agrees: “We don’t look at it as a second chance. It’s finals footy, it’s all about momentum, and it’s against our rival club. Getting up and motivated at home will certainly be no issue.”

That focus on standards has been a theme for Easts all year. Batger admits there was a stretch mid-season where the side wasn’t playing to its potential.

“We just had a string of games — Two Blues, Souths, then Manly — where I felt we were coasting along, and that goes against our goal for the year to constantly be improving every week,” he says. “I certainly feel we turned this around with our best performances of the season coming against Rats and Uni in the following two weeks. Our loss to Gordon last week, we see as an outlier, a reflection of the 50/50 conditions.”

While the big moments often come from line breaks, try-saving tackles, or spectacular finishes, Batger is quick to point out the less glamorous contributions that have defined this season.

“Josh Bokser is never a part of the glamorous stuff like a line break or breakaway try, but without him this year I don’t think we come away with as many wins as we have,” he says. “That being said, it would be rude not to mention our props Rob Cobb and Reon Lowery….... the scrum has been a hallmark of our side all year.”

It’s a reminder that finals rugby is as much about the grind as it is about the moments that make the highlight reel.

Easts are defending premiers, and Bokser knows what it takes to win on the biggest stage. But he says last year’s title hasn’t dulled the hunger.

 “Last year was a very special year, but it doesn’t change how much it means to us this year,” Bokser says. “We have a different group with the same hunger and drive. We’re all chasing that success again.”

And while last year’s triumph is a memory to savour, the focus now is on the next 80 minutes.

“You have to earn it all over again,” Bokser says. “There are no shortcuts in finals.”

Saturday at Woollahra

East’s home ground will be buzzing on Saturday, and while the players aren’t relying on the crowd to lift them, there’s no doubt it will add to the atmosphere. The home support was loud and proud during last year’s finals, and against a visiting Randwick side who’ll bring plenty of their own, it promises to be another charged afternoon.

Bokser’s focus is equally straightforward: “It’s about turning up, doing our job, and making sure we give ourselves the best chance to keep moving forward.”

Minor premiers, home advantage, and a playing group that’s found its best form when it matters most, Easts have every reason to feel ready. But in finals rugby, nothing is given. And with Randwick on the other side of halfway, this one is set to be a battle worthy of the stage.

Kick-off is at 3:10pm at Woollahra Oval.

Get your tickets here.